Vodafone UK next to get iPhone 3GS [Updated]

After Orange's announcement yesterday that they would be offering the iPhone 3GS in the UK, now comes word that Vodafone will be the third carrier in the country to sell Apple's smartphone. According to UK paper The Telegraph, the Vodafone iPhone 3GS is likely to be £100 cheaper ($159) after analysts predict a price war between carriers.

Update: Vodafone have confirmed the news; the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS will launch in the UK and Ireland in early 2010. [Thanks Dion!]

Vodafone already offer the iPhone in certain countries, including Australia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Italy, India, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa and Turkey, but until now have been unable to do so in the UK because of rival carrier O2's exclusivity deal with Apple. Now that that deal is ending, however, the iPhone 3GS is open to more competition in the UK; according to the paper, Vodafone's agreement with Apple was only signed last night.

A full announcement is expected this morning, though is yet to show up on Vodafone's media pages at time of writing. We're still half-expecting Apple to force price parity on the iPhone 3GS handset itself, so as to preserve its own profits, instead leaving the carriers to battle it out on price plans, coverage and contract length. A pre-interest page is available at vodafone.co.uk/iphone and the iPhone 3G and 3GS should arrive in early 2010.